Neal missed an opportunity to explain about networks

Referring to Neal Smith&#39s letter (Mortgage Strategy April 5), I have been called many names in my time -usually of one or two short words.

But Neal calls me &#39perspicacious&#39. Not only do I not know what this means but I don&#39t even know how to pronounce it. Fortunately it is spelt correctly, and my trusty Funk & Wagnalls dictionary informs me that it means &#39clearseeing mentally, penetrating, astute&#39.

I was expecting something rather less complimentary so this was a pleasant surprise.

But then Neal complains about the omission of Whitechurch Mortgage Network (tub-thumping or what?) from the list of networks featured in Mortgage Strategy March 22. The point is that this list was specifically of new mortgage networks and did not contain any of the life companies or IFA networks such as Sesame, Tenet etc. Whitechurch falls firmly into the latter category.

Neal then carries on complaining by saying that I should stick to the subject of &#39Regulation&#39, as is my regular page&#39s title.

This is pretty rich coming from somebody who writes under the &#39Training&#39 banner and yet comments on anything from regulation to shared appreciation mortgages to the weather in Bristol.

Also, given my mention of the high profile demise of the Interlink Premier Network, the first IFA to fold since 1996 (and one of a similar size to White-church with 181 registered individuals) I am surprised that Neal didn&#39t take the opportunity to explain why Whitechurch is still in business and where Interlink went wrong on the financial side.